


Who's Rescuing Who Here?

by Lopsided_Nebula



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: But there is a story, Gen, M/M, Once Upon A Time AU, i don't actually know what i'm doing, kravitz is angus's dad, pirate taako, so lets see what happens I guess, there isn't a plan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-10-18 06:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20634506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lopsided_Nebula/pseuds/Lopsided_Nebula
Summary: No one actually knows for certain.A curious young boy in search of family. A memory stripping curse. A bounty hunter who's not sure what he's searching for. Secrets. Maybe a pirate or two.The sort of story that ryhmes but doesn't echo. Let's see what happens together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say that this was just a blast to write and it was one of the fastest things i've ever written. Enjoy!

Kravitz had been having a rather disappointing birthday so far and he had a feeling the rest of the evening wasn’t going to get much better.

First off, it was his birthday. A fact he had been doing his best not to pay attention to by taking on a new case. It was the perfect chance to roll out his new vest and cufflinks. His birthday present to himself after a particularly well paying case, they were a matching set, with the skull buttons on the vest being the same as the ones on the cufflinks. It was understated yet intimidating in his personal opinion. Sadly he hadn’t gotten to enjoy it for long due to how short the encounter between him and his mark had been.

The whole thing had taken up five minutes at the most and now, as he was heading back to the car after dropping off the person who he’s just going to assume is named Mark because he really didn’t want to remember that dickbag’s name at the police station, he was facing the reality of a long dull night at home that stretched out in front of him.

He wondered with a vague sense of whimsy if the evening would have lasted longer if he had challenged his mark to a round of poker or go fish or something. It would have been interesting at the very least. Maybe he’ll try that next time, see what happens.

He trudged up the stairs to his slightly less shitty than it could have been apartment, loosening the buttons on his vest as he went, already making plans to just go to sleep and let the rest of this blasted day play out without him.

This planning was interrupted by the extremely small boy in a sweater vest parked in front of his apartment door.

He looked half asleep, leaning against this giant ornate looking book that had to be equal to about half of this small child’s body mass. It was a mildly surreal sight and Kravitz couldn’t help but to stare with baffled eyes at it.

He was only able to take it in for a few moments before the boy registered his presence and scrambled up, trying to straighten his little bow tie as he went. Kravitz was trying really hard not to find this adorable.

“Hello Sir! My name is Angus McDonald!”

Even the way this Angus kid spoke was adorable. What was he even supposed to do with this?

“I found your mom!”

What.

“What.”

Angus looked nervous now.

“Also I’m not sure but I think you might be my dad.”

Well. If there was one thing to be said about this evening. It was no longer boring at the very least. Kravitz wasn’t actually sure if this was better.

“I’d like to think I’d remember something like being a dad.”

Angus looked even more nervous now, he was fidgeting with the hem of his sweater vest and looked like the tips of his ears were darkening.

“Well, I mean. You’re.. you might be but the birth certificate could be wrong and I don’t know if that even matters because I have Ms. Lucretia… but it seemed like the sort of thing that needs to be said.”

Kravitz sighed.

“Come on in kid, this sounds like a long story.”

Angus brightened.

“Oh it is! Don’t worry though, this will help!”

He brandished the very very large book with some difficulty but not as much as Kravitz expected him to have.

“Pertinent visual elements are key to a good presentation!”

He sounded like he was reciting something. Kravitz nodded, it was a fair point and he was just sorta going along with things now.

He held the door open for Angus and went to retrieve some cups and some… uh… apple juice (that was fine for kids - he was pretty sure) for the two of them.

Angus sat on one of Kravitz bar stools, sipping at his cup of juice. The cup was black. He was committed to his aesthetic, sue him. Kravitz stood on the other side of the counter, his own hand wrapped around a matching glass. He leaned forward so his arms were resting on the counter.

The kid was obviously enjoying letting him wait. Angus took another few sips before setting the glass aside carefully and looking him in the eye with deliberate gravitas. He leaned forward then took a moment to re-situate himself, so he was now sitting on his knees and closer to eye level with Kravitz.

Kravitz couldn’t help but pay attention, the kid wasn’t half bad at this, he knew how to engage with an audience.

Angus asked,

“Mr. Kravitz, do you believe in fairy tales?”

He then plopped the large ornate book on the counter between the two of them and Kravitz finally got a good look at the cover.

It had a large golden swirling script that reached nearly every inch of the cover. It said in big letters ‘Once Upon A Time’.

* * *

Kravitz rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the headache quickly developing behind his eyes.

"So what you're saying is that I'm some sort of magical savior meant to save everyone from fairy tale land?"

Angus nodded a bit mulishly, seeming a little peeved that Kravitz wasn't jumping right on the fairyland train with him. Well that was alright, Kravitz was a bit peeved as well. He was tired.

“And you’re saying my Mother, who abandoned me when I was a baby happens to live in this fairy tale town and be one of these..”

Kravitz gestured forward, ineffectively grasping at the air as he tried to reach the right words to describe the pure insanity the kid was trying to convince him of.

“I like to use the term ‘dimensionally misplaced’”

Angus piped helpfully. Kravitz sighed. He couldn’t deal with this. This wasn’t his job. He started heading towards the door.

"C'mon kid,"

Angus looked at him warily.

"Where are we going?"

Kravitz started shrugging on his coat.

"To the police station, they'll get you home."

Angus popped up rather quickly at that.

"You can't! I'm not supposed to be here."

Kravitz snorted.

"Yeah, no shit Kid."

Oops, he definitely wasn't supposed to swear in front of someone… however old the kid was.

"Let's get going."

Angus stood, looking defiant."

"I'll… I'll tell them you kidnapped me."

That… actually wasn't a bad plan. Alleged estranged father steals the kid to live with him, Kravitz had seen it enough times. It could work. Except for one thing.

"And I'm what? Turning myself in? Cuff me officers I'm returning my Abductee?"

Angus deflated.

"I could claim you had a guilty conscious."

The kid was grasping at straws now. Kravitz felt a bit of sympathy, Angus looked despondent. Hmm. He had an idea. It might cheer the kid up and it could ensure his cooperation too.

"Hey kid, ever played.."

Uhh. He shouldn't say poker right? What else.. What else.

"Go fish?"

Angus wrinkled his nose a little but looked interested none the less.

"Not since I was in kindergarten, Sir."

Ha. The kid had a bit of a mouth behind those manners of his.

Kravitz pulled out a deck of cards from a nearby drawer.

"okay, here's how this is going to go. 1 round, the most pairs wins. A pair is made up of 3 of the same card. I win, you go to the station with me and don’t spin any kidnapping stories."

The kid pouted at that. Fucking pouted! Though he did look like he was seriously considering Kravitz’s offer. He tilted his head in a ‘go on’ sort of gesture.

"If you win I drive you home directly and the police don't get involved at all."

Angus stared hard at the deck in his hands before looking up at Kravitz with a bright smile.

"Deal!"

They shook on it and Kravitz dismissed the slight concern he felt building at the kid’s far too innocent smile. It was just Go Fish, there was no way he was going to lose at that, especially not to a child.

* * *

17 minutes later Kravitz sat stunned in front of the card covered table. Angus had gotten 13 pairs to his 5. The kid had won unequivocally.

He sighed as he looked as Angus's smug face. A deal was a deal he supposed. If there was one thing Kravitz was it was a man of his word… mostly.

"Alright kid, let’s get you home. Where do you live?"

The smugness left the boy's face replaced with some mix of bashfulness and guilt.

"Sti..dmmt.. Mi.,d,r"

Kravitz tilted his head closer to hear him.

"What?"

"Storybrooke, Maine."

Kravitz took an especially deep breath.

"How did you..?"

He cancelled his line of questioning as soon as he saw a bit of the smugness return to Angus's face.

"You know what, it doesn't matter. C'mon."

Angus tilted his head warily.

Kravitz rolled his eyes and gestured towards the door.

"We better get going if we're heading all the way to Maine."

The kid brightened.

"You're going to have to give me directions though."

Angus nodded eagerly and they both set out

* * *

They had been driving for a little while. Angus had given Kravitz the directions and the conversation had petered out a little shortly afterward. Kravitz remembered that the kid had been falling asleep when he met him. He was probably exhausted.

This quiet had given Kravitz enough time to think, enough time to wonder what sort of kid ran away from home all the way to Boston.

Or what sort of home deserved to be run so far from.

Kravitz didn't like the picture his mind was constructing from the pieces he had.

Kravitz pulled to the side of the road. Angus looked at him curiously, blinking the sleepiness from his eyes. Oh he really didn’t want to be the one having this conversation with the kid, but someone had to and he was the only one around at the moment.

He looked Angus dead in the eye, trying to convey the seriousness and sincerity with which he asked his question.

"Angus, did.. Is Lucretia the reason you ran away, Is she mistreating you?"

Angus, to Lucretia's credit looked horrified at the idea.

"Oh no sir! I.. No! Ms. Lucretia would never!"

Kravitz settled back in his seat, relieved.

"I believe you kid, I just had to ask to make sure."

Angus calmed down a bit and nodded his head a little, an unconscious response as he mentally gnawed over Kravitz answer.

Kravitz found himself wanting to add more, it seemed wrong to just leave it at that.

"I. uh, I know it's far too easy for a kid in the system to get lost in the shuffle, I'm glad that wasn't what happened to you.

Angus turned more fully towards him, eyes a little too bright and voice a little too innocent.

"You say that like you've seen this yourself Sir, was it because of your career as a bounty hunter?"

Kravitz let his breath slowly hiss through his teeth. Damn was this kid smart.

"Yes, well, mostly from first hand experience."

He looked out the windshield and craned over his shoulder, avoiding Angus's too bright eyes carefully.

"We better keep going. We need to get you home."

Kravitz pulled back out onto the road.

* * *

For a long while they drove in silence, Angus being tactful enough to drop the subject. Kravitz snuck another look at the little guy. Or he was tired enough that he had fallen asleep.

He was dead to the world, that truly comically large book cradled in his lap as he curled around it, stopped by the seatbelt halfway down and snoring softly.

Kravitz sighed again, something he felt like he had been doing all evening, but this time more gentle. This kid really was pretty endearing.

He drove a few hours longer in silence alone with his thoughts, not willing to risk the music waking up Angus. The poor kid was exhausted. He had to be after making it all the way to Boston by himself. Kravitz still didn't get how a twiggy little 10 year old had made it all the way from a small town in Maine to Boston on his own.

He fell into a sort of meditative state, marking time by the lamp posts hanging over the highway as he drove, starting a new count with each post. One. One. One.

He must have done this hundreds of times before he heard stirring besides him. The kid was getting restless. Angus groaned a little. Or he was waking up.

Kravitz didn’t speak, he didn’t feel the need to. Angus didn't either, though Kravitz could feel his eyes boring into the side of his skull. There was a quiet magic to it. The nighttime landscape rolling by them and not a single sound clouding the air between them.

Angus eventually broke it.

"She's sad."

Kravitz looked at Angus from the corner of his eye. The kid was staring out the front windshield carefully.

Kravitz made an a curious "hm?" sound to show he was listening. He didn't want to break whatever the kid was getting to with his own words.

"Ms. Lucretia, she's amazing. She's so smart and loves jokes and she read Caleb Cleveland with me whenever a new one comes out. But sometimes when we're in town together, or.. Or for no particular reason at all she just stops, and she looks so sad."

Angus looked at him again.

"I think she's lonely."

Kravitz coughed.

"Oh um, kid, she's not, even if. I.. I uh. I don't like women."

Wow, the smooth, serious bounty hunter everyone.

Angus laughed a little.

"No, I don’t want you to date Ms, Lucretia."

His nose wrinkled a little at the thought, as smart as the kid was, he was still a kid.

"I think she needs a friend."

Kravitz didn't know what to say to that. So he just kept driving. He needed to get Angus home.


	2. Over your head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrive at Storybrook.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I did another chapter! And only a month later as well!  
It's a little bit of a mess but I'd had most of it written for awhile already so I thought I might as well finish it and post it.

They drive into Storybrooke at around elevenish. Not ungodly late but in the ballpark of it, especially if he was planning on driving back tonight as well.

Angus was wide awake at this point. He had his book clasped it his chest and looked rather nervous.

"I'm going to be a large amount of trouble aren't I?"

Kravitz hummed, buying himself a moment. He had no fucking clue. He assumed that running off to other states without telling anyone was something that got kids in trouble.  
"Probably, yeah."

Angus slumped in his seat. Maybe not the most comforting answer he could have given then.

Kravitz grimaced. He could have said that better. But he was tired and he wasn't sure if he could have figured out what to say to the kid (his kid??) under better circumstances either.

Kravitz was still feeling very 'what the fuck' about this whole situation.

There was a certain surreal quality to have taken off for another state in the late evening with a kid that claims that he was their father.

It was something akin to the time that he hadn't realized his bounty had actually been a professional body builder. His head had been ringing for days after that attempt of an arrest. She had had a mean left hook.

This feeling didn't lessen as they pulled up to the address Angus had given him. Or when Angus tried to convince him that Kravitz really didn't need to come to the door with him, he could go by himself. Or when they started walking up the path together- Kravitz wasn't sure how to do this child care thing but he definitely wasn't taking his eyes off his charge until he was no longer his responsibility. That's how you don't get paid when you're a bounty hunter. Take your eyes off your mark for one minute and suddenly you're eating the cheap sort of ramen for the next week like some sort of shitty college student instead of the nice stuff with actual dehydrated vegetables and everything.

The surrealness didn't break until the door to the incredibly nice house was swung open from the inside and he was staring at the rather severe looking visage of a black woman with short pale hair in a business suit who did not look very impressed with him. She was rather intimidating.

"'Ello, Oi.."

He coughed. Fuck that was almost very embarrassing.

"..I am Kravitz, I found.."

He didn't get very far at all before the woman caught sight of Angus by his side. Her face melts immediately.

"Angus, you're safe!"

Kravitz stepped back, not wanting to get in the way of the worried woman. The woman – Lucretia, he assumed, knelt close and started looking Angus over, as if to make sure all the pieces were in their proper place. 

Angus squirmed, trying his best to not look terribly embarrassed and failing very badly.

"Ms. Lucretia, I'm fine. A detective knows how to take care of himself!"

Lucretia's mouth twitched a bit. She hid it quickly with a severe expression.

"Well a boy detective still has people responsible for his well being and doesn't disappear without telling his legal guardian anything."

Angus tried very hard to look penitent, but this attempt was about as convincing as his go at not looking embarrassed moments before.

Kravitz, in a show of solidarity.. Or something decided now was a good point to cut in.

"Oh, um. I think that might be partially my fault. I didn't think to ask Angus for your number to let you know he was okay."

That honestly was a really good idea. He wish he had thought of it four hours ago when he was still at home.

Lucretia switched her focus from Angus to Kravitz. She looked like she agreed that he definitely should have thought to do that earlier and was waiting for an excuse as to why he didn't. He didn't think 'being told he was secretly a fairytale superhero' was going to fly. Lucretia seemed like a very put together person, he didn't need to lower her opinion of him any more by bringing up dragons or anything of the like. Saying he didn't call because he lost a card game didn't seem much better.

Basically he had nothing.

Lucretia interrupted his scrambling thoughts.

"Won't you come in?"

She gestured Kravitz into the house. They stepped into the foyer, because apparently he's stumbled into a social situation with the sort of person who has a foyer. And it was one that could only be described as austere as well. Oh. Great.

"Thank you for bringing Angus back home. He has an adventurer's spirit."

She looked like she didn't know for sure whether or not that was a good thing. Angus looked decidedly proud of the label.

"Do you need anything before you go? A cup of coffee? I might have some macaroons from the diner if you need something to tide you over on your way back,"

She paused for a moment. She gave the impression that she knew what she was doing, but only in the theoretical context.

"Where did you say you were from again?"

Kravitz coughed, uncomfortable.

"Boston."

Lucretia blinked, incredulous. Kravitz caught sight of Angus behind her wincing a little. Apparently he wasn't supposed to say that.

"And I think it's a bit too late for me to be heading home tonight. Is there a place to stay in town for the night?"

He really was tired.

Lucretia froze. Her entire face went eerily blank.

"Oh."

Angus chose to pipe up at that moment.

"The bed and breakfast downtown always has rooms free!"

Lucretia twitched.

"Yes, that's true."

It looked like it had been vaguely painful for her to say.

"Well, either way you had better get going, since you're so tired from driving all the way from.. Boston."

Angus ran up and shook Kravitz's hand.

"Thank you for driving me back Mr. Kravitz."

He didn't realize that the kid had slipped a note into his hand until he was halfway down the path. He was a wily one wasn't he?

He read the note using his dim car light. 'Café. 8:30 am. Hot chocolate. I want my book back.' He laughed. The note was written on a playing card. Sure enough, in the footspace on the passenger's side there was wedged a truly enormous book. Clever kid.

A clock bell started tolling midnight as he started the car. This was going to be interesting, at the very least.

* * *

Taako was definitely not awake. He was pretty sure he could get through at least the first third of his shift before Rin said anything about it. She was chill like that.

He had a thermos of emergency espresso stored under the counter, not to be used until it was absolutely necessary. Until then he was fine drifting through his morning on autopilot. Noting the orders; Miller - Oatmeal and three coffees. Goodfriend - Small omelet and a decaf coffee the fucking maniac. Burnsides - Pancakes for two. Same as always.

This was why he didn't register the new presence until an unfamiliar voice called over the quiet hubbub of the diner. He blinked, opening his eyes fully as he searched for the noise that was different. There was a man sitting at the main counter, looking at Taako curiously.

Taako realized he had exactly no idea what the man had just said and that might be a small obstacle in taking his order among other things.

"Sorry, could you repeat that."

The man looked vaguely embarrassed. Taako refused to invite anything resembling shame into his life ever so he just looked at the guy expectantly. Plus, it wasn't like looking at him was a burden or anything. Honestly. Damn.

"Yes, um, could I have a.. two hot chocolates with whipped cream and cinnamon, please."

The guy looked like he wanted to crawl out of his own skin. It was kinda hilarious and maybe a little bit adorable.

Taako nodded and jotted down his order. He was a professional in a workplace environment. Plus the guy just looked sorta pitiful. As he turned he tried to relate this order to his usuals. It rang a bell but he couldn't quite recall from where.

He made a detour to the counter on his way over to the kitchen. It was definitely time for the emergency espresso.

* * *

Kravitz didn't know why he was here. In a diner. In the middle of Storybrooke or Nowhere or Wherever, Maine. Angus was home and happy. He'd done his duty and made sure the kid was safe. He should be halfway back to Boston by now, not waiting at a counter for two hot chocolates and a soon to be late 11 year old.

But.

But.

But he was here, and he knew why and maybe it was nothing, some odd intuition, but something felt off. He should just leave it- but he just. He wanted to make sure. Lucretia seemed nice enough, if a bit… perfunctory, she could genuinely be the source of a happy home for Angus. She could be one of the good ones.

She had been a bit aloof with him, a reasonable reaction to a strange man showing up on her porch

But old memories of cold eyes and harsh words played in the back of his mind. He just. He had to make sure.

Besides, he mused, Angus seems like a neat kid. It wouldn't hurt to get to know him a little better. There were other reasons why he should get to know Angus as well. He wasn't really thinking about the paternal aspect right now though. It was still a bit too much.

He was just going to have hot chocolate with the kid, give him his book, and be on his way. That was it.

“Hello sir! We have a lot to talk about!”

The kid, it seems, has a different plan.

“We’ve got a town to save!”

Well. Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Kravitz. What have you gotten yourself into. The best laid plans are wont to crumble in the face of a determinded Angus McDonald. And we have the introduction of Taako as well! What's going to happen now?
> 
> Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment or leave kudos. Come chat with me on my Tumblr! I'm @lopsidednebula and am always happy to chat.
> 
> Have a nice day!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment or leave kudos! And thanks to @marywhal for leaving that prompt open for anyone who wanted to give it a shot. It's been really fun so far!
> 
> I do have thoughts/plans on how to expand this but I've already got one fic I'm trying to semi-regularly update and I'm still adjusting to my first year of college so I can give no promises as to when more will be added.
> 
> Come check me out or just hit me up for a chat on Tumblr, I'm @lopsidednebula
> 
> I hope you have a wonderful day!


End file.
